Wachtel Hat-Trick Leads Spruce Kings to Fourth Straight Win

Ryan Wachtel scored three times and Ben Vreugdenhil had a four point as the Prince George Spruce Kings knocked off the Surrey Eagles in a 9-6 track meet on Saturday night at Kopar Memorial Arena.

It was the Eagles who kicked off the game with a pair of goals as Kole Keen put home a scramble and Ben Buckley had one deflect off his pants to make it 2-0 in the opening period.\

The Spruce Kings responded at 12:37 as Ryan Wachtel beat Brady Smith for his 15th of the season from the left circle as Vreugdenhil picked up the assist.

Mason Loewen scored his 15th of the year just 53 seconds later as he worked his way across the top of the circles from the half wall and beat Smith to make it 2-2.

Surrey responded at 18:09 as Keen got his second of the night off a giveaway in the attacking zone. Keen would beat Ryder Green on the breakaway to make it 3-2 Surrey.

Prince George tied it up again on the power play as Wachtel gave the puck to Vreugdenhil then got it back and snapped it past Smith to tie the game at three while shots were 12-12.

Dominic Szczygiel scored his 9th of the season on a two on one when Michael Denney fed it across and Szczygiel buried it past Smith to make it 4-3.

Vreugdenhil would get his fourth point with a picture perfect shot to make it 5-3 at 11:51 of the second period.

Mathis Laplante got in on the act at 13:26 when he put one in from behind the goal line after Andrew Murray threw it on goal, and Laplante grabbed his rebound and banked it off Smith.

Surrey got back within two as Gleb Semenko beat Green at 16:59 of the second on one of Surrey’s second shot, before Loewen scored his second of the night at 19:50 when he poked it over the line on a River Arnason shot.

In the third period, Wachtel picked up his hat-trick goal on the man advantage with a shot from the right circle as the Spruce Kings lead 8-4.

Surrey then scored shorthanded at 15:30 as Kalan Anderline made it 8-5, before Semenko’s second of the game at 16:49 got the game back within two.

Nick Bianchi scored into the empty net at 17:14 with Gabriel Simpson and Lucas Busch picking up the assists.

The Spruce Kings out-shot the Eagles 33-7 over the final 40 minutes.

Prince George heads on the road for a pair of Coastal East battles, facing off on Friday in Coquitlam and Saturday in Chilliwack